The real recipe is that coffee is believed to increase blood pressure. But this is not true, this is a myth that has existed for a very long time.
In most cases, people with high blood pressure or after a heart attack can drink coffee without any health risks. But people with tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) still need to control the consumption of this strong drink.
If you drink four cups a day, drinking the fifth cup will not make you worse. More important than the amount of coffee you drink is the quality of its processing and the antioxidant your body receives.
Mild diarrhea, but not necessarily dehydration
According to the scientist, if you drink only these two drinks, you will be overwhelmed with caffeine. In large doses - approximately 5 cups of coffee per day - in healthy people
Caffeine can cause mild diarrhea, which means our body will increase urine production to get rid of more fluid.
But this does not necessarily indicate dehydration. Yes, the body gets rid of more fluid, but it receives even more, that is, there is no dehydration. Moreover, when the body gets used to coffee (when your one morning cup turns into three), then no more diarrhea should occur.
Salt and coffee interfere with the absorption of vitamins
But vitamins are best absorbed naturally, that is, from food.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
pharmacist Natalya Opykhtina, tells us how to ensure that beneficial substances increase immunity and do not “fly down the drain”
— It’s not enough to just take vitamins. They still need to be properly absorbed by the body. For example, calcium is a capricious element. In our body, it prefers to work only in the company of vitamin D, and does not like coffee (one cup of 150 ml inhibits the absorption of calcium for 3 hours). It is also not digested along with bread, bran and all refined foods. Sodium salts also impair its absorption in the body. So if you take vitamins with calcium, try to eat less salty foods.
Spinach and sorrel contain a lot of calcium, but it is practically not extracted from there due to oxalic acid (it converts calcium into an insoluble compound).
Starch and fiber also interfere with calcium absorption. Therefore, it is healthier to eat dairy products separately from cereals and vegetables.
Vitamin D is not so picky - it is well absorbed from cod liver, fatty fish (herring, halibut, salmon), along with phosphorus - from canned fish (especially sprat and sardines). And, of course, in order to receive the norm of this vitamin, you need to spend at least an hour a day in the air, and during daylight hours (in our skin it is formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, which is why it is called “sunlight”).
What else interferes with the absorption of various vitamins:
Alcohol - washes vitamins A, the entire group B, as well as calcium, zinc, potassium, iron, and magnesium from the body.
Nicotine destroys vitamins A, C, E and selenium.
Caffeine (more than 3 cups of coffee per day or constant intake of caffeine tablets) - kills vitamins B, PP, reduces the content of iron, potassium, zinc, calcium in the body.
Aspirin - reduces the content of vitamins B, C, A, as well as potassium and calcium.
Sleeping pills - make it difficult to absorb vitamins A, D, E, B12, and greatly reduce calcium levels.
Antibiotics - destroy B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium. Therefore, if you have completed a course of antibiotics, be sure to consult with your doctor whether you need to take additional multivitamins and what foods should definitely be on the menu.
BY THE WAY
The body does not take shock doses of vitamins!
Senior Researcher, Department of ENT Diseases, Russian State Medical University, Ph.D. Alexandra Guseva:
— It has been proven that ascorbic acid, that is, vitamin C, really increases the body’s resistance to colds. But you shouldn’t rely on multivitamin complexes, especially those with a high content of vitamins and microelements. Impact doses will not be absorbed by the body. But they will increase the load on the liver and kidneys and can cause allergies, especially in a child. As a result, excess vitamins will only weaken the immune system.
In addition, an overdose of fat-soluble vitamins A, D and some minerals in general can cause serious complications.
Vitamins are best absorbed naturally, that is, from food. There are no problems getting ascorbic acid. There is a lot of it in kiwi (especially the skin), sauerkraut (more than in fresh cabbage), rosehip decoction or syrup, sea buckthorn, and citrus fruits.
Dry mouth
© Dean Drobot
Another reason some people believe these drinks are linked to dehydration is that we experience a dry mouth feeling after drinking them, according to Webster.
This is due to tannins, which are found in tea, coffee, some fruits and dark chocolate. When we eat or drink, tannins enter our saliva, causing a dry, astringent feeling.
But this is not related to dehydration, since both tea and coffee mostly consist of water.
We started drinking more coffee: what does this mean?
For the first time in recent years, coffee consumption in Russia exceeded tea consumption. Kommersant Style finds out which statements about coffee are myths, and which ones are still worth paying attention to.
Staying at home during quarantine has not been in vain - cheering yourself up with a cup of coffee throughout the day has become more of a norm than usual. Back in May, all major news channels shared an unprecedented fact - for the first time, Russia began to consume more coffee than tea. And this despite the fact that our culture of coffee consumption has developed as primarily not a home drink, but rather a social drink - something that we drink either at business meetings, or take away from coffee shops in paper cups. Let's look at the basic beliefs about this drink, is everything so clear?
Coffee reduces the effectiveness of vitamins
This is one of the most common points that adherents of a healthy lifestyle like to discuss. For example, there is a common belief that if you drink a glass of orange juice followed by an Americano, this makes it impossible to absorb vitamin C. “Caffeine (in the amount of more than three cups of coffee per day) actually interferes with the action of vitamins B, PP, C, and reduces the content in the body iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, selenium,” says Konstantin Karuzin, sports doctor, neurosurgeon, author of the personal health system Bioniq Health-Tech Solutions and the Telegram channel @hackyou_biohacking. “For example, B vitamins contain nitrogen, and tannins from coffee react with them and neutralize the effect of beneficial substances of vitamins. And one cup of 150-200 ml inhibits the absorption of calcium, and in general, caffeine washes calcium out of the body, and as a result of excessive coffee consumption, bones become fragile. If you do drink a cup of coffee, then it is better to postpone taking micronutrients for an hour or an hour and a half.”
Coffee is addictive
Many people have probably already tested this statement on themselves - and indeed, in the first time after stopping coffee, there is a withdrawal syndrome, a kind of caffeine “hangover”. Melanie Waxman, SHA Dietitian, Nutritionist, Natural Therapies and Wellness Coach, says, “Caffeine addiction is a proven fact and has been officially included in ICD-10, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Caffeine addiction can cause symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and depression. Consuming caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone.” Thus, by drinking coffee, we force the body to digest a product that increases stress levels, as well as causing fatigue and hormonal imbalance.”
Photo: Getty Images
Coffee strains the nervous system
Yes, caffeine is a psychostimulant, it activates the central nervous system, enhances cardiac activity, increases mental and physical performance, reduces the feeling of fatigue and the need for sleep. But in general, everything is not so simple, or rather, not everything is the same for everyone. “The effect of caffeine depends on the type of nervous activity,” says Konstantin Karuzin. “For some people, caffeine in large doses enhances inhibition processes. Daily consumption of caffeine in moderation and in the absence of medical contraindications is safe. And in some cases it is even beneficial, since caffeine can reduce the risk of developing certain diseases (metabolic syndrome, liver disease, Alzheimer's disease). However, some people experience symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, headaches and irregular heart rhythms when consuming caffeine. Why is this happening? The liver, which contains special cytochrome proteins, is responsible for the metabolism of caffeine in our body. The lower their activity, the longer caffeine has its stimulating effect. About 95% of caffeine in the body is metabolized by cytochrome CYP1A2. Genetic variants in the CYP1A2 gene can alter the activity of cytochrome, causing caffeine to have a longer-lasting effect on the body and lead to unwanted effects.
If after drinking a cup of coffee you feel a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, tremors, nausea, or increased blood pressure, then most likely you are a carrier of this gene, and in this case, taking caffeine can harm the body. But the case of carriage of this gene accounts for only 5–10% of the total number.
To identify polymorphism of cytochrome CYP1A2 for caffeine detoxification, you can take a laboratory test or do a genetic test.”
It's impossible to stop drinking coffee
Dependence on a cup of coffee, on the entry into the blood of that same life-giving caffeine that stimulates all thought processes, can still be overcome. Why and who should give up coffee? First of all, pregnant women should take a more careful approach to the “coffee” issue, as well as people with problems of the cardiovascular system and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. “In the fight against caffeine addiction, it is important to eat enough foods that are rich in nutrients and provide the body with energy (grains, beans, vegetables), and also get enough sleep so that the adrenal glands can rest. If you still feel the need, it is better to drink barley coffee, it cleanses the liver and promotes detoxification in general,” advises Melanie Waxman.
Photo: Getty Images
Coffee is good for you
In addition to caffeine, coffee contains chemical compounds that may have potential therapeutic effects on the body. One of the key components is polyphenol, found in many fruits and vegetables. Coffee is also a good source of vitamin B3, magnesium and potassium. In moderation, coffee is good for most people—three to five cups a day, or up to 400 milligrams of caffeine. “There is pretty good evidence that coffee is associated with a lower risk of mortality,” says Ericka Loftfield, a researcher at the US National Cancer Institute who studied the drink.
Irina Kiriyenko
Coffee may have the same properties as water
Researchers from the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Birmingham compared the effects of drinking coffee with the effects of drinking water.
Their study involved 50 men who drank three to five cups of coffee daily. The study took place over three days.
On separate occasions, each participant consumed either four cups of coffee per day (200 ml each) or the same amount of water.
The data showed that there was no significant difference between drinking water and drinking coffee in many respects. This means that when men drink coffee in moderation, this drink also protects against dehydration, just like water.
Coffee does not cause dehydration!
The myth of dehydration persists for years despite evidence to the contrary.
Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS
For years, people have been repeating the generally accepted fact that caffeine causes dehydration (excessive loss of body fluids) and is a diuretic. Because of this, many deny themselves such pleasure as a cup of this divine drink in the morning. And all because of the supposedly possible risk of dehydration.
So, some experts believe that the statement about dehydration is nothing more than a myth.
In particular, nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky :
— Drinks containing caffeine may have a mild diuretic effect, that is, they cause a slight urge to urinate, but they in no way increase the actual dehydration of the body.
By its definition, dehydration is caused by foods that increase a significant outflow of fluid from the body, as a result of which a person begins to visit the toilet more often.
Based on this, water or any other drink consumed in large quantities could also be called a means of causing dehydration. But this is not at all true!
Zeratsky reminds: urination does not lead to dehydration (unlike, for example, diuretics or prolonged diarrhea).
Meddaily writes on this topic that the myth of coffee dehydration has persisted for years despite evidence to the contrary. It turns out that back in 1928, a small study was conducted in which volunteers drank either four cups of coffee a day or drank only water with pure caffeine added over two winters.
All this time, the amount of urine they excreted was regularly monitored.
So, the final measurements showed that if volunteers abstained from tea and coffee and started drinking only caffeinated water, the number of trips to the toilet increased by 50%. But when they returned to regular coffee consumption, the diuretic (diuretic) effect disappeared.
Therefore, there is no point in talking about the effect of dehydration from coffee.
Another study conducted in 2005 involving 59 people also found that caffeine is not a "water separator."
And finally, in 2021, a study conducted by the American Society for Nutrition found that the dehydration effect of coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks is no different from that caused by plain water or sports drinks.
Thus, scientists reiterate that although some caffeinated drinks such as colas and energy drinks have their own health consequences, such as raising blood sugar levels, there is no cause for concern in terms of fluid balance in the body. .
Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, confusion, fatigue and dry mouth. A loss of 20-25 percent of water is fatal; painful disorders occur with a loss of 10 percent of the total amount of water in the body
BY THE WAY
Proper fluid intake helps in the fight against excess weight due to the fact that this way the metabolism functions better. And toxic substances are removed from the body. Conversely, lack of water slows down the process of breaking down fats and converting them into energy. As a result, excess fat accumulates in the body. Read more in the material “7 things you (maybe) didn’t know about drinking regime”
ALSO ON THE TOPIC:
Harvard scientists have discovered 5 diseases that coffee protects against
Every year, coffee attracts more and more “adherents”; people currently drink 400 billion cups annually. And to their delight, more and more research shows that caffeine has a positive effect on human health. In particular, it protects against the development of certain diseases. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found this out during a large-scale study that lasted several years and combined the medical indicators of 130,000 coffee drinkers (more).
Overdosing on caffeine can have serious consequences
For most healthy adults, a safe daily caffeine level is up to 400 mg—that's about four cups of coffee or eight cups of black tea. Green tea contains less caffeine than black tea (about 25 mg per cup), while herbal teas generally contain no caffeine.
However, experts warn that consuming large amounts of caffeine can cause heartburn, restlessness, increased anxiety or nervousness, insomnia, muscle tremors and rapid heartbeat.
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In this case, it is better to add caffeine-free drinks to your diet, in particular regular drinking water. But you should also not drink too much liquid to avoid fluid retention in the body, which in turn can cause swelling in the arms, legs and other parts of the body.
How coffee affects the body
23.06.2018
Starting the day with a cup of coffee is a real pleasure!
But there have been a lot of horror stories around this drink for a long time. Some doctors say that it is harmful, others idolize its benefits. Where is the truth here?
It’s all about the amount of coffee you drink, and not only that, because the main energy booster is caffeine
also found in green tea and cocoa.
A large amount of it will not bring benefit, but harm to the body. Let's look together at the effects on the body, as well as the pros and cons
of this beloved drink.
As mentioned above, coffee invigorates due to the caffeine it contains. Once in the body, it acts in three directions:
In the brain and other organs, caffeine interferes with adenosine receptors, thereby preventing this substance from entering the blood. Adenosine is a hormone that causes drowsiness and reduces nervous agitation. How coffee suppresses fatigue
, increases concentration and reaction speed.
Stimulates the release of adrenaline, a hormone that increases heart rate, thereby increasing blood pressure and stimulating the flow of glucose into the blood.
Increases dopamine levels. This substance is responsible for happiness. It is because of this property of caffeine that addiction occurs.
We said that everything is good in moderation. And this measure is 300 mg
- three medium cups of strong coffee.
For many adults, this is a safe amount
of caffeine per day. But don’t forget that in addition to coffee itself, caffeine is also found in other products!
Pros of an invigorating drink:
1.
Improves performance and mood. Helps people with depression.
2.
Coffee helps with headaches
3.
It contains macro and microelements
4.
Boosts immunity
5.
Protects against caries
6.
Improves memory
7.
Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in women
8.
Stimulates fat burning during weight loss
There are also some disadvantages:
1.
Coffee is highly addictive, comparable to nicotine and drug addiction.
2.
A person who is accustomed to drinking a lot of coffee will feel weak and drowsy without it.
3.
Excessive coffee consumption leads to the development of arrhythmia
4.
Coffee can cause heartburn
5.
Drinking coffee significantly increases blood cholesterol levels
6.
This drink dehydrates the body
7.
It can cause yellow plaque to appear on teeth, as it is a strong dye.
As you can see, everything is good in moderation! Coffee certainly has many beneficial properties.
and it helps you wake up in the morning. But do not forget about the norms of use and possible risks.
Compatibility of coffee and magnesium
Coffee can affect magnesium levels in the body. When you drink coffee, magnesium absorption in the intestine is reduced. Although coffee does not directly remove magnesium from your body, decreased magnesium absorption can cause your body to gradually lose it. In turn, this can lead to magnesium deficiency.
The more coffee you drink, the less magnesium your intestines can absorb. This becomes more important as you get older. Because magnesium absorption usually decreases with age.
If you drink coffee, you may not absorb magnesium effectively, which can lead to magnesium deficiency. This can be prevented by consuming more magnesium every day. That being said, you should talk to your doctor before taking any magnesium supplements.
Is it true that coffee removes microelements from the body?
Coffee has a pronounced diuretic effect. Microelements - calcium, magnesium, iron - are washed out of the body with water. The caffeine contained in the drink disrupts the acid-base balance in the body. To restore it, it actively releases calcium into the blood, which, after neutralizing the effects of caffeine on the body, leaves the body with urine. The more caffeine, the greater the loss of calcium.
Caffeine also disrupts the hormonal balance in the body, especially in women - it sharply increases the amount of adrenaline and increases the duration of its effects, and also stimulates the production of histamine. Both of these hormones interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body.
Important! Just one small cup of double espresso or a large cup of instant coffee leads to the loss of about 6 mg of the microelement necessary for the body.
Tannins contained in coffee bind to iron in the blood and reduce its amount. Vitamins, magnesium and potassium are excreted in the urine.
Instant coffee has a particularly negative effect on the body. The natural drink itself contains some useful microelements - potassium, a small amount of iron, vitamin P, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels, as well as essential oils. Instant coffee has no benefits. In addition, it contains a lot of harmful chemical additives and preservatives.
Causes of thirst after drinking coffee
According to the observations of experts, there are many reasons for thirst after drinking a drink.
- Especially in hot countries, coffee dehydrates the body due to its diuretic properties. This negatively affects well-being, the condition of the mucous membranes, and skin tissue. That’s why the custom arose there to serve a glass of cool water with espresso. This results in relief from the condition.
- A rich drink made from natural coffee beans can have a bright taste with a slight sourness. To dilute it a little, it is advisable to alternate drinking espresso with cool water. Then the feeling of thirst will not appear in the future.
- When a barista serves water along with a drink in a cafe, do not ignore the offer. After enjoying a cup of coffee, it won't hurt to drink water to protect your tooth enamel from yellow plaque.
- Natural beans contain most of the caffeine. If you drink double espresso, drink it with water. Then there will be no problems with the nervous and vascular system, and the heart will not receive excessive stress. Even concentrated coffee removes liquid, drink water to avoid dehydration.
Drinking the drink with water has been found to reduce appetite, resulting in weight loss.
